Alpine Expands TuneIt

LAS VEGAS — Alpine is bringing a redesigned series of compact PDR amplifiers, its first enclosed preloaded subwoofer box for trucks, and an expanded selection of head units compatible with its TuneIt app.

TuneIt and the new TuneIt 2.0 app for OS and Android devices enable consumers to tune a sound system to a particular vehicle’s interior acoustics. Users plug in their vehicle’s make, model and speaker locations, and the app accesses the Cloud to download the best settings for the vehicle. The app then sends the settings to select Alpine head units via USB. Settings for crossover, time correction and parametric EQ can be adjusted through the app.

The feature will be available in seven head units in 2014, up from three.

New TuneIt features include system tuning to match Alpine-specific speakers and subwoofers and an expanded vehicle database to match select vehicle makes and model years. The app carries over text-to-speech notification of Facebook activity from a connected iPhone or Android phone.

In the 2013 line, three single-DIN head units supported TuneIt, and that number is growing to include three single-DIN CD heads, three double-DIN A/V navigation units and one double-DIN A/V head.

One of those models is the single-DIN CDE- 153BT CD receiver with built-in Bluetooth BT Plus, which describes a set of Bluetooth technologies that include Bluetooth’s serial port profile to control many of the functions of a Pandora app running on a Bluetooth-connected Android phone. Bluetooth Plus appeared in 2013 in all single-DIN CD receivers but one.

The CD receiver also controls Pandora on a USBconnected iPhone. Other features include Made for iPod/iPhone USB, SiriusXM port, 24-bit DAC and 4x18-watt RMS output. The CDE-153BT ships in January. Pricing was unavailable.

In amplifiers, Alpine is launching the Class D PDR amplifier series, which has been redesigned from the ground up and feature more aggressive styling with heat sinks on the left and right sides.

The SBT-S10V subwoofer box for trucks, shipping in March, is an enclosed subwoofer box preloaded with the new SWT-10S2 10-inch truck subwoofer. Its wedge-shaped chassis measures 16 inches by 22 inches by 7 inches at its deepest point, so it can be installed under or behind the seat in trucks.